This is the 3rd of 5 posts on Influential Leadership from a class I was teaching at Trinity Baptist Church.
I have posted other Influential Leadership posts.The goal for each family member should be to glorify God and help other family members do the same.
Our families provide each of us a great opportunity to grow in God's grace and to show God's grace to others.
While this post is specifically about parenting, we need to remember that family is so much more than parent/child relationships. Churches are made up of many different families and each of them needs to be discipled. Some singles have varying types of relationships with their parents and siblings, widows and widowers, empty nesters, husband and wife with no children, and others. Each and every one of us has family relationships that should be growing.
Paul Tripp's Parenting video (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MDlMI7B4a2Az) challenges parents to think of themselves as ambassadors of God in our children's lives. We need to pray and act with this reality in mind. Here is a video about one of the 14 Gospel principles.
Three other resources related to Tripp's book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles
- You Don't Need More Parenting Advice is an article about the importance of the Gospel in parenting.
- Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles is a collection of resources like the Calling video above and 13 similar videos.
- Five Questions You Must Ask Your Kids
There are many parenting books and resources out there. The ones in this post have been shared because of their Gospel focus. Here is part of the book that demonstrates this point.
If I were to ask you what the best, most practical, most helpful parenting passage in all the Bible was, what would you answer.
Most biblically literate Christian parents would run to Ephesians 6:1-4, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (this is the first commandment with a promise), 'that may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (ESV)
Those are wonderfully helpful verses, but there's another passage that's almost never mentioned in the context of parenting. These words, straight from the mouth of the Messiah, contain everything you need to know and understand in order to experience the rest and courage of heart that fuels good, godly, perseverant parenting.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Great Commission? Yes! I cannot think of any directive more appropriate to every Christian parent than this one. Here's why:
Your job as a Christian parent is to do everything within your power, as an instrument in the hands of the Redeemer who has employed you, to woo, encourage, call, and train your children to willingly and joyfully live as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
From Paul Tripp's Wednesday Word devotional.
We need to understand that parenting is a discipleship opportunity that needs to be soaked in prayer. Here are some specific things you can pray for your children, grandchildren, and children you know.
- Pray that Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming.
- Pray that they will respond in faith to Jesus' faithful, persistent call.
- Pray that they will experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and will increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments.
- Pray that they will not be unequally yoked in intimate relationships, especially marriage.
- Pray that their thoughts will be pure.
- Pray that their hearts will be stirred give generously to the Lord's work.
- Pray that when the time is right, they will GO!!
Taken from Seven Things to Pray for Your Children
Here are some additional family worship resources
Seeds Family Worship's "The Good Song" which is taken from Psalm 3.
Seeds Family Worship has a great youtube channel you will want to check out.
BASICS OF FAMILY WORSHIP with Don Whitney and Justin Taylor
The What, When and How of Family Worship
How We Do Family Worship
Come Follow a Failure
Family Devotion Failure and of All Days
Shelter In Place Notes (added after the post was originally published):
This stay-at-home time provides many families with the unique opportunity to take more purposeful time to begin some habits that should continue after the quarantine is done.
During this time, how you worship with and talk about your church will have a huge impact on how your family - those stuck in your house with you and those who are elsewhere - think about the church, the Bride of Christ.
During this time, how you use your time and encourage your family to use their will teach others what is most important. While serving as the pastor of children and family worship at Emmanuel Baptist Church, I encouraged fathers and families to do family worship at least once a week. My goal in this was helping busy families see the impact of consistent time in God's Word could have on them and their families. The hope was it would grow into much more than just once a week but that was a start. This shelter-in-place time has allowed so many families to do so much more than once a week.
"Disruption creates a wonderful opportunity for us to establish new spiritual habits in our families." from "Family Worship Starts Now" at The Gospel Coalition
The April 8th post "Lord of the Flies OR Spring Break 2020" is about what Krista and I are trying to do during our quarantined spring break.
If you have other resources, additional comments or questions, please leave them in the comment section.
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